Marsh buggy



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J. P. GRAIN MARSH BUGGY .my w, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 11, 1947 my E, H95@ J. P. @RAIN 256mg@ MARSH BUGGY Filed June 11, 1947 v '5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented July 10, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT orties John P. Grail. Grand Chcnier, assigner of one-half to Albert H. Crain, Grand Chenier, La.

Application June 11, 194'?, Serial N Q. 2535920 (CL 180o-93 1 Claim- 1 This invention relates to, motorv vehicles or tractors An object of' this invention -is to provide a vehicle which is; designed particularly for movement over sof-t ground, such as marshy ground, and soft sand, and; also over Water.

Another obiect of this invention is to provide a tractor which is, provided with large and Wide barrel-.like Wheels so as to afi-ord the necessary support for the vehicle inv order to prevent the Wheels from sinking into soft marshy ground and also Water v v-hen equipped with Wheels adaptedto Such, purpose- A further object of this invention is to provide a tractor of this kind which includes means for driving both the front and rear Wheels so that thevehicle can, readily move overl soit ground without digging into the ground.

Another object of this invention is to provide a four-Wheel driven vehicle on which the axle, sup-y porting the, two wheels employed in steering the vehicle, may rotate to a certain degree on both its vertical and horizontal axis and yet the wheels attached thereto Will continue to receive power from the engi-ne.

With the above and other objects in View, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and. details of construction disclosed in the drawings andy specification., and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the. drawings,

Figure 1l isy adetail side elevation, partly broken avvay and in section, ot a vehicle constructed ac? cording to. an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is ay detail front elevation of the device,

Figure 3 isa fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Figure l,

Figure 4. is a fragmentaryA sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure l,

Figure 5 is a4 fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1,

i'figureA 6 is, a bottom plan View, partly broken away, Of. the vehicle with the cleats removed from they/heels,

Figure '7 is. a fragmentary sectional view taken on the, line 1,-1 of Figure 3,

Figure is a fragmentary sectional view taken 011, the line 8,-8 QiFisure, 4,

Figure 9 is av plan View o ai Water Wheel which may be substituted for the Wheels shown in Figure 1, Y

Figure 10 is a horizontal sectional View through the Wheel shown in Figure 9.

Referring.- toithe drawings, the numeral I0 designates generally a frame or chassis which is constructed of' a pair of; longitudinal channel members II, connected together at` their front and rear ends by means of connecting bars I2 and I 3 respectively. 'I'he side members IIa-re also connected together by means of intermediate connecting bars I4, l5 and I6.

The chassis or frame [.0 also has mounted therel-l an engine I'I of conventional construction, whichis connected to a speed changer or transmission I8,.byr means of a shaft I9. The chassis or frame-I0 has mountedat the rear portion thereof a pair of barrel-,like Wheels generally designated as 2'0. The Wheels 20 are mounted on a transversely extendingY axle or shaft 2|, being journaled on the shaft 2|l and this shaft is xed to the under side of the frame I0 by means of a pair of Ueshaped. clampingl bolts 22, extending through plates 23 which are welded or otherwise fixed to, the inner lower-portions of the side memhers, Ii.

The transmission t8. has connected to the rear thereof a rearwardly extending shaft 2,4 in which universal joint 25 isf interposed. The shaft 24 is, connected to, a differential, 2B, of conventional construction, vvhiGhl is disposed in a differential housing 21 secured by ineans of a pair of Ufbolts 28` to, the lower side, of the frame lil'y forwardly of theshaft, or axle 2l.

Each rear Wheel 2l] includes an inner Wheel member 2,9 which is, formed of an; outer annulus or felly 3,0, having radially disposed spokes 3! fixed at. their outer ends to. the felly 3B, and the spokes 3l are fixed at. their inner ends to a hub 3,2. which journaled on a stub shaft 33, carried bythe shaftoraxle 2l, A plurality of elongated transversely disposed bars 34 are fixed to the periphery of tghefelly 30, extend-ing outwardly and inwardly therefrom, and these bars 3l!v have xed to the inner sides thereof rings or annular meinbers The bars` 34 form the tread for each rear Wheel 20: and this tread is of very substantial Width so that each Wheel 20 Will engage a very substantial Width of ground as the wheel is moved thereover. y

The outer sides of the bars 34 have xed there-4 to angularly disposed cleats, or tread members` 36, and also relatively short inner cleats or tread members 31. The hub 32 has` fixed thereto a relatively large, sprocket Wheel 38 about which a chain 39 is trained The chain 39 isY also, trained about a` driving sprocket 40 Which is xed to, aV

Shaft 4l operated by the differential 2i. The Sprocket. 40 isv a, relatively small. sprocket. SQ that the. Z0 will be rotated at, a reduced speed 3 with respect to the shaft 24, the object being to give a great increase in power to the vehicle.

The vehicle also includes a pair of front wheels 42 which are formed barrel-like similar to the rear wheels 20 and are rotatably mounted on a front axle 43. The front wheels 42 also include a large sprocket 44 which is driven by means of a chain 45 trained over a driving sprocket 4 6. The sprocket 46 is driven from a front differential 41, the tubular housings 48 of which have a pair of angle members 49 secured thereto. The angle members 49 are welded or otherwise xed to the tubular housings 48 and a pair of forwardly and downwardly inclined angle bars 50 are fixed at their forward ends to the angle members 49 by bolts The angle members 58, which constitute the differential supporting bars are also xed at their rear portion to a pair of angle members 53 which are welded or otherwise fixed to the axle 43. Bolts 52 removably secure the supporting bars 58 to the angle members 53.

The transmission I8 also includes a forwardly extending drive shaft 54 having a universal joint 55 interposed therein, and the shaft 54 is connected at its forward end to the differential 41. The drive shaft 54 also has a universal joint 55a located under the front supporting axle 43 so that the front differential and front axle 43 may turn as a unit and power applied to the front wheels at any angle of the latter. In this manner the front and rear wheels are positively driven from the engine I1. The front axle 43 is swivelly mounted at the forward end of the chassis Ill and has mounted at an intermediate point a block 55 which is carried by a plate 51, having webs 58 which are welded as at 59, to the axle 43. A fifth wheel construction generally designated as 6U includes a lower plate or disc 6| formed with ears 62 which are rockably connected to the block 56 by means of a pin or shaft 63.

An upper wheel or plate 64 engages the top of the lower wheel or plate 6I and is rotatably connected thereto by means of a pivot bolt 65 which engages through a transversely extending supporting bar 66, which extends between the side channel members I. The front axle 43 is braced against rearward movement by means of a truncated V-shaped hanger 61 which is welded to and depends from the axle 43. A bearing block 68 is fixed by fastening members 69 to the horizontal lower portion 18 of the hanger 61 and the forward end of a bracing bar 1| is pivotally secured to the bearing block 68. Preferably the connection between the forward end of the bar 1| and the bearing block 68 is a ball joint connection and said connection between the bar 1I and the bearing block 68 is coaxial with the axis of the pivot member 65.

The rear end of the bar 1I is secured to a mounting 12 which is fixed by fastening members 13 to the horizontal portion 14 of a truncated V-shaped hanger 15. The upper or outer ends of the hanger are formed with ears 16 engaging on the outer sides of the side members I I and secured thereto by fastening members 19. The front wheels 42 are steered by means of a steering construction 88 which includes an elongated steering bar 8| having steering links 82 connected to the opposite ends thereof. The links 82 are connected at their forward ends to the rear ends of the differential supporting bars 58. Turnbuckles 83 are interposed in the links 82 so that these cables may be maintained taut and in proper alignment. Chains 83a, for limiting the pivotal movement of the steering means extend between the frame I8 and differential steering bars 50.

In the use and operation of this vehicle, the engine I1 will drive the shafts 24 and 54 so as to rotate the rear and front wheels 20 and 42. Due to the large diameter and the very substantial width of the front and rear wheels, these wheels will not sink into the soft ground so that this vehicle will readily operate over marshy ground, whereas vehicles at present available will deeply sink into soft or marshy ground. The provision of the front wheel drive will also make it possible to more readily move the vehicle over the soft ground so that when power is applied to the wheels, all four wheels will turn as a unit. With a vehicle of this kind, marshy ground can be cultivated to the desired degree for planting and harvesting the desired grain or other products, thereby eliminating the necessity of cultivating and harvesting the ground manually.

This vehicle may also be equipped with wheels which permit its use on water.

Referring to Figures 9 and 10, there is disclosed a buoyant water wheel which can be readily substituted for the wheels 28 and 42. The water wheel embodies a cylindrical body 84 having spiral cleats 85 on the outer side thereof which in water will act as propelling blades or paddles. The body 84 has secured to the inner end thereof an inner wall 86 having a central hub 81 for securing to the axle or shaft. The body 84 also includes an outer wall 88 having a center opening 89 which is closed by a plate 98 secured by fastening devices 8| to the wall 88. Removal of the plate 90 will permit access to the interior of the hollow and closed wheel to provide for mounting or removing the wheelfrom the vehicle.

I do notl mean to confine myself to the exact details of constructions herein disclosed. but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In a tractor as described for use on marshy ground comprising a chassis having a frame with power driving means, the combination of pairs of front and rear wheels rotatably mounted on transversely extended front and rear axles,- each of said wheels including a centered hub, a drive sprocket fixed to said hub for rotation thereof, a barrel-like wheel structure attached to the hub outwardly of said sprocket, swivel means securing one of said axles to the chassis for rotation about a vertical and longitudinal axis including a pair of horizontally disposed plates, one of which is secured to the chassis with the other secured to the axle with means securing the plates for relative rotation to each other, a pair of longitudinally extending members carried by the axle having spaced ends forwardly of said swivel means, a transverse drive shaft carried by said members having spaced ends drivingly connected to the hub sprockets, said transverse drive shaft being drivingly connected to the engine by a longitudinal drive shaft having a swivelled joint vertically aligned with said swivel means carried by the front axle, a bracemeans having a hanger dep-endently fixed to said front axle below said drive shaft swiveled joint and having a bearing block, a rearwardly extending bracing bar having one end xedly secured to the chassis, and a ball joint carried by the opposite end of said bar connecting said bearing block torsaid bracing bar.

JOHN P. GRAIN.

(References on following page) REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Rand Mar. 13, 1900 Romne June 17, 1913 Stewart July 28, 1914 Bruce Oct. 9, 1917 Lehman et a1 Nov. 18, 1919 Morton Mar. 15, 1921 ,Number Number lo 115,309 152,875 

